


On The 42nd Floor

by fanfics_she_wrote



Series: forty-two [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: :(, Aunt Tal is back, Gen, Iron Man 2, ME - Freeform, Marvel - Freeform, Peggy makes a small appearance, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, anyway, idk anymore, no Bucky Barnes for a while, no more hydra, no more red room, oh look who's alive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:20:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25535737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanfics_she_wrote/pseuds/fanfics_she_wrote
Summary: Roughly nineteen years after the supposed murder of his Aunt Tal, now an adult, Tony Stark is faced with the vaguely familiar Natalie Rushman.
Relationships: Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark
Series: forty-two [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1593973
Comments: 7
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony meets a woman who reminds him a bit too much of his deceased aunt

Pepper Potts was a busy woman. She'd become even more so when Tony Stark chose to appoint her as CEO. She was used to the work, though, having had to run Stark Industries for years already -- especially since Tony claimed to always be here for a good time, not a long time.

Pepper knew quite a bit about Tony. She'd known him for fifteen years now, give or take. They'd met through Rhodes, Tony's best friend. Pepper and Rhodes had met at some college party somewhere. Neither remembered whose college threw the party. Pepper hadn't really thought she'd like Tony but yet, here she was, running after him as if she were his baby sitter. She could've left years ago, obviously, but chose to stay.

Just six months ago, Tony had been kidnapped and almost died. She'd actually cried for him. But then he'd returned and she remembered why she always thought he was exasperating. Still, she couldn't bring herself to leave him to fend for himself.

Pepper pushed her hair back and smoothed her skirt down as the elevator doors opened and she was met with the Stark Industries lobby. Her heels clicked softly against the tiles.

"Ms Potts!"

Pepper halted and searched for the voice that called her name. "Yes?" she said when a redhead approached her.

"I'm Natalie Rushman, from legal."

"Oh! Right, okay, follow me."

And it was back to the elevator.

Natalie glanced around the elevator, taking in the sleek and modern design. It was white . . . minimalistic. There wasn't much to commit to memory. The lit button with a stark black '42' on it stood out to her. She attributed it to it being the only button that had been pressed.

"Tony!" Pepper called as she led Natalie to an indoor boxing ring. "The notary's here! Can you please come sign the transfer paperwork?"

"I'm on happy time."

Natalie found her gaze fixed to Tony Stark boxing with Happy Hogan, his driver and bodyguard -- though Tony never explicitly called him that. She watched as Tony faked a blow to Happy's face from above. When Happy moved to block it, Tony hit his jaw with his elbow from below. "Sorry."

"What the hell was that?" Happy demanded.

"It's called mixed martial arts," Tony said, "it's been around for three weeks."

"No, it's called dirty boxing and there's nothing new about it."

"Bleh bleu blargh bloo--"

"Shut up." Happy moved to attack Tony again, but Tony dodged easily. He moved into a handstand, using his momentum to spring upwards. Natalie frowned as Tony locked his calves around Happy's neck, sitting upright for a fraction of a second before throwing himself backwards, effectively flipping poor Happy over.

Laughter -- her own laughter -- echoed in Natalie's head.

_That, if done correctly and with enough strength, could kill someone easily_

Natalie shook her head slightly and glanced down for a second. What the hell was that?

"Mr Stark, I just need you to initial every box."

Tony stopped bullying Happy and turned to stare at Natalie. _Aunt Tal?_ He shook his head. No, it wasn't possible. He'd last seen her nineteen years ago. Even if she had survived, she wouldn't look as young as the notary he was faced with.

"I promise this is the only time I will ask you to sign over your company," Pepper was saying, but Tony was fixated on Natalie.

In the back, Happy saw a window. "Lesson one," he said, stepping towards Tony. "Never take your eye off--"

He moved to attack Tony and without even looking away from Natalie, Tony caught Happy's arm and threw him over before pinning him down by his arm.

"Happy!" Pepper cried. "Tony! Tony, stop, let go of him!"

Natalie watched, curious. Tony let go of Happy and sat up, once again finding Natalie. He'd wanted to see her reaction. His Aunt Tal would've congratulated him. She would've smiled, proud of how quick he'd become.

Happy was impressed, despite the pain. "You gotta teach me that."

"That was instinct," Tony said, turning his body but not his head away from Natalie. "It's a skill, takes years to master."

"Oh, yeah? And how long did _you_ take?"

"Two years, give or take." He stood up suddenly, startling Natalie. "What's your name, lady?"

"Rushman. Natalie Rushman."

He studied her for a second. "Front and centre. Come into the church."

"Tony," sighed an exasperated Pepper, "you can't--"

" _If!_ it pleases the court," Tony cut in, over Pepper. He paused when Natalie did. She hesitated for a second before kicking the other shoe off. "Which it does," Tony said gleefully. As Natalie was offered gloves from Happy, Tony leaned down to Pepper. "Google her."

Pepper shook her head. "I'm not gonna Google--"

"You're gonna Google her. For me. Please."

Pepper sighed again. "I don't get paid enough to deal with you, Tony."

"I thought lesson one was don't take your eyes off the target," Natalie said when Happy had exited the ring.

"Yeah, yeah, one minute."

Natalie thought about how effortlessly Tony had deflected Happy's attack. She knew she was silent. Would he. . .?

Tony felt rather than heard Natalie coming. Pepper screamed when Tony ducked and almost threw Natalie out of the ring. She cried out again when Natalie stood up and launched a second attack on Tony. The pair fought for a few seconds, neither landing a hit, until Natalie finally overpowered Tony and flipped him over. Locking one arm under her, she pressed her knee against his chest and glared down at him.

"Who are you really?"

"You're gonna need to get off my reactor or you'll be charged with first-degree murder."

Natalie knew she wasn't pressing hard enough to cause any damage at all, but she let off quickly. She narrowed her eyes at Tony for a minute before stalking out of the ring. She snatched up the folder and placed it on the floor of the ring, opened out. "I need your impression, Mr Stark."

"Right," he murmured, placing his thumb on the scanner.

"Thank you." And quick as she'd come, Natalie Rushman vanished.

Tony rolled over to the edge and propped himself up on his elbows. "Well? Who is she?"

"She modelled in Tokyo," Pepper said, turning her attention to the screen in the coffee table beside her, "and she's fluent in French, Italian, Russian and Latin."

"That's it?"

"Tony, what do you want me to give you?"

"Are you sure that's it? She doesn't have a bigger internet profile?"

"No, Tony, I'm sorry. That's about it. Why?"

"She reminds me of someone I knew a long time ago."

* * *

"You know, it's Europe. Whatever happens in the next twenty minutes, just go with it."

Pepper stared at Tony quizzically. "Go with it? Go with _what_?"

"Mr Stark."

"Aah! I swear it wasn't me, Aunt Tal!"

Natalie, Pepper and Happy stared at Tony.

"I didn't know you had an aunt," Natalie said.

Tony cleared his throat. "Sorry, didn't see you there, Natalie."

Natalie noticed how he avoided the topic of his aunt. "No damage. So, you have one photographer from the ACM, all right? Right here."

"Wait, what? Hang on, what are you -- don't bully me!"

"I'm not bullying you, Mr Stark, I'm working. You hired me."

"I never hired you!" Tony turned to Pepper. "I didn't."

"You probably did."

"I swear--"

"Smile, Mr Stark."

Reflexively, Tony and Pepper both smiled for the camera.

"Also, you have a nine-thirty dinner."

"I'll be there at eleven," Tony said as he followed Natalie. "Who hired you?"

Natalie smiled. "You did. Let me know if you need anything else, I'll be within earshot."

As soon as Natalie disappeared, Tony turned back to Pepper, almost falling and taking her down with him. "I swear on my mother's life, I didn't hire her."

"Tony. You've been forgetting a lot of things lately. Your mom's birthday, several company meetings, several more deadlines, appointments. Look, I don't know what to tell you -- hell, I don't even know what to _think_. Maybe . . . maybe you _did_ hire Natalie."

"No, I know I didn't. I wouldn't have. I know that because I can't even look at her without thinking about my Aunt Tal."

"Tony, I know you miss her. I never met her, but I know she meant a lot to you. I know it's not easy but . . . it's almost twenty years. You need to let her go."

"I -- I can't. You weren't there. No one was. My dad was out cold. My mom was dying. He shot my aunt and then he shot my dad. You weren't there. You don't know what I saw. I was a kid, Pepper, I was a kid and I had to watch him shoot her in the head without even looking away. I had to fight him to get to her body and I didn't even manage to see her before he left. You don't know what that's like."

"It's not like you talk much," Pepper said quietly, dragging Tony to the table Natalie had led them to. "About her, about him, about anything that happened that involved them. All I know is that you loved them, they were dating, and he killed both her and your father -- and I got that from Rhodes!"

Tony stared at the table top. "I'm running out of time."

"What?"

"I thought I could find her," he added quickly, "find them both. Aunt Peg told me it was useless. She told me I'd never find him, no matter how hard I tried because he's a ghost. Do you have any idea how it feels to lose almost everyone in the same night? My mom almost died that night too. And you know what's the worst part? It would've been my fault. I left her to run after my Aunt Tal." Tony laughed mockingly at himself. "It's all so pathetic."

"You were seventeen, Tony. Don't beat yourself up about it. Don't -- don't try to take blame for something you couldn't have helped. I don't know everything, but you could tell me. Tony, I know damn near everything about you. I know the name of your first girlfriend, first crush, first kiss, I know how you and Rhodes met, I know you only like your mother's cakes, I know you hate being handed things, I know you can't sleep before one am, I know almost everything there is to know. Tell me about her. Please."

"I will . . . as soon as I get rid of Justin Hammer."

Pepper glanced behind her to see the man approaching. "Ugh."

"I know."

"Anthony!"

Tony cringed as if the name dealt physical blows to him. "Justin Hammer."

"How you doing? You’re not the only rich guy here with a fancy car. You know Christine Everhart from _Vanity Fair_. You guys know each other?" As he said her name, the reporter appeared. Pepper shot Tony a warning glance as Christine greeted them.

"BTW, big story," Justin said, "the new CEO of Stark Industries."

Christine smiled. "I know, I know."

"Congratulations," Justin said to Pepper.

"My editor will kill me if I don’t grab a quote for our Powerful Women issue."

Pepper nodded when she realised what Christine meant. "Sure."

"She’s actually doing a big spread on me for _Vanity Fair_. I thought I’d throw her a bone, you know. Right?"

Despite shooting Tony a warning glance, Pepper could not contain herself. "Right. Well, she did quite a spread on Tony last year."

"And she wrote a story as well," Tony said, thrilled that Pepper was making the ordeal amusing, at the very least.

"It was very impressive." Pepper said.

"That was good." Tony added.

"It was very well done."

"Thank you," Christine cut in before they ran out of positive things to say with a sarcastic smile.

"I’m gonna go wash," Pepper said, standing up.

"Don’t leave me," Tony muttered, shooting her a pleading glance. Pepper smiled sympathetically before vanishing.

"Hey, buddy," Justin said, taking Pepper's vacated seat. "How you doing?"

 _Kill me now_. "I’m all right."

"Looking gorgeous."

"Please, this is tough."

"Can I ask you," Christine said, "is this the first time that you guys have seen each other?"

Tony glanced upwards. _Why this_ _torture_ _?_

"Listen, is it the first time you’ve seen each other since the Senate?"

"Since he got his contract revoked--"

"Actually, it’s on hold," Justin said.

"--when you were attempting to -- That’s not what I heard. What’s the difference between 'hold' and 'cancelled'? The truth?"

Christine turned to Justin. "Yes, what is it?"

"No. The truth is -- Why don’t we put that away? The truth is, I’m actually hoping to present something at your Expo."

Tony smiled. "Well, if you invent something that works, I’ll make sure I get you a slot."

And then Tony's saving grace approached. "Mr Stark," Natalie said.

"Yes?"

"Your corner table is ready."

Though Tony hadn't asked for a corner table, he quickly stood up. "Thank you."

"I actually have a slot this year," Justin said as Tony turned to leave. "Yes, I do."

Tony ignored him. "Excuse me, what corner table?"

Natalie smiled. "Ms Potts asked me to secure one for you. She said you'd prefer it. That, and Justin Hammer."

"Right. Well, lead the way, Natalie."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria Stark meets an old friend

"Natalie!" Pepper stared at the TV near the top of the wall. " _Natalie_!"

Natalie appeared by her side. "Yes, Ms Potts?"

"Did you know about this?"

Natalie looked at the TV to see Tony in a blue jumpsuit, getting ready to join the race. "This is the first that I have known of it."

"This -- this cannot happen."

"Absolutely. I understand. How can I help you?"

"Where’s Happy?"

"He’s waiting outside."

"Okay, get him. I need Happy."

"Right away."

Natalie left quickly, rushing to find Happy. Just what had Tony gotten himself into now?

* * *

Natalie wanted nothing more than to jump the fence and help Tony fight the unknown man with electric whips but she couldn't quite do that in her current state. Still, it wasn't as if Tony was helpless. Whoever taught him, they'd taught him well. She watched Tony battle it out with his apparent adversary, making sure to put distance between them and the half of the car that Pepper and Happy sat in.

Natalie was curious. She wanted to know who had taught Tony. She wanted to know who could've taught Tony moves she perfected in the Red Room, moves she developed herself, moves that were linked to someone who had done ballet.

She wanted to know why she felt the urge to help Tony Stark, a man who proved himself capable in combat. She wanted to know why she felt the need to help him when he was the one in a suit of armour and she wore an expensive dress.

She wanted to know what it was that Shield was hiding from the Black Widow. 

* * *

Natalie Rushman did not get a chance to disappear. Keeping in cover meant playing accordingly to her PA role. She'd tried to dig deep on the flight back from Monaco but something, or someone, was restricting her access. Now, back at Stark Tower, she found herself staring at the boxing ring.

"See something you want?"

"Why do you have an indoor boxing ring on this floor?"

"Why not?"

Natalie turned to face Tony in the doorway. "The forty-second floor is right in the middle of the business. You could've put it higher up, below the party deck -- or above the party deck. Below the workshop. Below the penthouse. Why here, in the middle of Stark Industries as a business?"

Tony shrugged as he walked in. "No one looks for you in the middle of what you're trying to avoid. You're the only one from the outside that knows what's in here -- speaking of, how did you get past the locks?" 

Natalie waved her access card at him as she turned back to the ring. She walked over to it. "Who trained you?"

"What?"

"Who trained you? You couldn't have learnt to fight just by yourself. Someone taught you how to do what you do. You're dangerous, Mr Stark, with or without the suit."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Tony said with a smile, pushing off the doorframe and walking further into the room.

"So," Natalie said, turning away from the ring. "Who trained you?"

"My -- my aunt. She wasn't really, but I loved her more than I loved my mother's sister anyway."

"Your mother doesn't have a sister."

"I was trying to make a point, Tal--"

Natalie slipped into the ring and ran her hands over the red bordering. "Tal?"

"I'm sorry. Your name, it -- it reminds me of her."

"What happened to her?"

"She died." Tony didn't expand on it. He stood outside the ring and looked up at Natalie. "Can I ask you for a very strange favour?"

"That depends," Natalie said, moving back as Tony climbed up as well. "What do you want?"

"Fight me," Tony said, planting his feet and raising his fists.

Natalie laughed lightly. "I'm not going to fight--"

Tony lunged for her and she reacted without hesitation, defending herself. Somehow, Tony lay on the floor of the ring.

"Are you okay?"

" _Fight me_ ," Tony said again, standing up.

"Why?"

"I need to know for sure."

"What do you need to know?"

Tony didn't answer. He launched a second attack, this time refusing to go down. Natalie stuck to defence, until she realised Tony wasn't going to back down. She switched to an offensive strategy, trying to land blows instead of deflect them.

With both of them equally trying to defend and attack, neither landed a proper hit. Natalie dug as far back into her memory as she could and tried out moves she'd forgotten she knew.

Tony knew them and he knew how to block them.

Natalie never expected to find herself on the floor of the boxing ring, arms locked and with Tony's knee between her shoulder blades. Above it all, she never expected Tony to be able to control whether or not he did any real damage to her spine.

"Who are you, Natalie Rushman?"

She didn't answer. She wasn't quite sure what Tony was _really_ asking.

With a sigh, Tony got up and offered her his hand. Natalie regarding him for a moment before taking his hand and pulling herself up. "Thank you, darling."

Tony's mind -- and body -- stilled. He could form only one thought. _It's not really her_.

* * *

Natalie rearranged the watches. She rearranged them again. She glanced back. Tony was just as distracted as she was. Shaking her head, she cleared her throat. "Do you know which watch you'd like to wear, Mr Stark?"

"I’ll give them a look. I should cancel the party."

"Mm."

"Yeah. ‘Cause it’s. . ."

Natalie continued fiddling with the watches. Tony stood up and walked over to thr dressing table, watching her hands do absolutely nothing. She was distracted. _Very_ distracted.

"Pretty bracelet," he said, gesturing to the dainty tennis bracelet on her left hand. He lifted his whiskey glass to his lips. "From a boyfriend?"

Natalie shook her head. "No, from . . . someone I think I used to know."

"Hmm. You know what, you should meet my mom."

"What?"

"Yeah, mom would _love_ you. You are here to keep me in line, right? Make sure I don't do something stupid, like die."

Natalie folded her arms, hiding the bracelet. Amusement struck her as she realised that was one reason she was there for -- behind the PA cover. "That's what I'm supposed to do, yes."

"But that's not what you're doing, is it?"

Natalie held Tony's gaze as he took another sip from the glass. She didn't answer.

"If not that, then what are you doing . . . Natalie?"

"I'm here to do my job, Mr Stark."

"I gotta say it. It’s hard to get a read on you. Where are you from?"

"Legal."

Tony chuckled. Of course she was. "Can I ask you a question, hypothetically? Bit odd. If this was your last birthday party you were ever gonna have, how would you celebrate it?"

Natalie thought about it. "I’d do whatever I wanted to do," she eventually said, "with whoever I wanted to do it with."

Tony studied her for a second. "Hm," he said, tipping back the glass and finishing the drink off as he walked towards the table by the armchair. "My mother would be up in the penthouse at this hour."

Natalie frowned. How did he know she'd considered speaking to his mother?

The clink of the glass as it met the table grabbed her attention. Tony faced the floor to ceiling windows as he spoke. "You know something, Tallie? I think you do know me. You just can't remember."

". . . Tallie?"

* * *

Natalie pushed open the door gingerly. Shield would have had her keeping an eye on Tony, but they'd neglected to inform her that Tony would be digging so deep into the very essence of who she was and showing her that even she did not know who she was.

Or perhaps Shield hadn't known that Tony would lay Natalie's soul bare for her to meet.

Whatever the case, Natalie was sure Tony would be fine while she visited the penthouse.

"Mrs Stark?"

Natalie received no response. She ventured further, wondering which direction a bedroom might be found. Given that Maria Stark should be ninety years old in August, it would stand to reason that Natalie would find her ready for an early night.

Natalie absently dragged her hand over the wall as she wandered down the hallway. "Mrs Stark?"

There were quite a few doors, she noted. She wondered where they all led. She'd opened two to reveal a spare room and one to reveal a massive mess that she assumed were all Tony's . . . past times.

"Perhaps I could provide some assistance." 

Natalie froze, looking around for the source of the voice. " _Jarvis_?" she whispered, searching her brain for how she had known the name.

"Correct. Has Mr Stark previously mentioned me already?"

"Uh . . . yeah. Yeah, he did. Though I seem to have forgotten. What -- what are you, exactly?" 

"My name is Jarvis. I am, in simple terms, Mr Stark's artificial intelligence . . . butler."

"I see," Natalie said, although she wasn't fully sure she did see. She remembered now, reading that Jarvis existed, but the voice of the AI system startled her in ways she hadn't expected. _She knew that voice_. "Um, can you point me to the whereabouts of Maria Stark?"

"Of course."

Natalie moved away from the skirting that lit up. "Neat," she murmured, following the lights on the floor. "I didn't know Stark had these."

"A drunk man often requires some assistance not sleeping on the floor."

"Ah. I see. Thank you, Jarvis."

"A pleasure, Ms Rushman."

Natalie knocked on the door where the lights stopped. "Mrs Stark?"

"Pepper, is that you?"

Natalie opened the door and stepped in. "No, it's--"

Maria gasped softly. Natalie began to worry when she noticed the elderly woman had begun to cry. "Mrs-- Maria, are you all right?"

"It's been so long."

"I don't-- I don't understand."

"Come. Sit with me."

Natalie obliged, taking a seat in the chair near the bed. Perhaps Tony often sat with his mother?

Maria reached out to her. Hesitantly, Natalie took hold of her hand.

"You look so young, Tallie."

"Tallie," Natalie murmured, "Mr Stark called me that earlier."

"Mr . . . Howard is long gone, Tallie."

Natalie frowned at the confusion on Maria's face. "No," she said softly, "I meant Tony. Your son."

"Oh," Maria chuckled, "Anthony's missed you so very much."

 _Anthony_. . . She knew who he was. He was a young boy, not too many years younger than herself. She'd saved him once. On a busy street.

"Have you spoken to him yet?" Maria asked.

"I have," Natalie said, nodding.

"He's been practicing. Waiting for you so he could show you how good he's become. He knee you'd be proud of him."

Natalie frowned. "Practicing what?"

"Oh, fighting, of course. All the different styles you've taught him. He searched for you. We all helped him."

"We?"

"Mhm. Peggy, Ana, Rhodey, Eddie and I.

Natalie knew of Peggy Carter and she knew Rhodey had to be Tony's oldest friend. The other names, she didn't recognise.

"Oh, you poor dear," Maria suddenly said, clutching Natalie's hand tight, "you don't remember, do you?"

Every instinct told Natalie to deny even knowing Maria or anyone else, but something else overpowered those instincts. Told her to sit and listen. Told her to shake her head.

Maria removed her hand and struggled to sit. Automatically, Natalie moved to help her sit up against the pillows up on the headboard.

"There," Maria said, pointing to the wardrobe door closed to her head. "I keep a box in there. It has your name on it."

Natalie hesitated, Maria's hand in her left while her right lingered on Maria's shoulder.

"Go on."

Slowly, Natalie walked over to the wardrobe. Tiny little voices screamed at her to head downstairs and keep a watch on Tony -- or at least, Pepper, seeing as Tony could defend himself well enough. She pushed them down and opened the wardrobe.

"At the top," Maria said.

Natalie lifted herself on tiptoes and spied a fairly large box on which it was written Tallie in thick black marker. 'Tallie. . ."

"Yes, that's the one, Tal."

Natalie pulled it down and walked back to the bed, setting it down at the foot. She glanced at Maria, who gave her an encouraging nod, before opening the box.

The first thing she pulled out, surprisingly, was a set of identical handguns.

"Maria, why do you have guns hidden away in a box?"

"Waiting for you to return," Maria said simply.

Natalie dug further, freezing after a few seconds. "Where did you get this?" she whispered.

"What is it?"

Maria was somewhat surprised to see that what had made Natalie halt was two booklets.

"These are Red Room and Hydra mission logs," Natalie said softly, "from nineteen years ago. Why do you have them?"

Maria sighed. "After you died -- or we all thought you did -- Pegs and Anthony went to your apartment. They cleared out everything and brought it back before anyone else could dig through it."

"I don't know you," Natalie insisted.

"The logs say otherwise. I suppose you don't remember him either -- Jamie?"

"James. . ."

_Love me. Completely._

"You do remember something. Tallie, I'm old but I'm not blind nor have I lost my mind. Take the box with you. I won't be going anywhere, but I fear Anthony might."

As if on cue, Jarvis spoke. "Mr Stark has just taken off in a suit of armour."

"Shit!"

Maria chuckled. "You'd best get to work, Tallie, hadn't you?"


End file.
